Reaching Out To Parents of Children

Introduction

Many years ago when I attended a church in another part of the country, I noticed that many young mothers brought their babies and young children to the Sabbath School, and then returned home. Only rarely, if ever, did I notice them coming to church afterwards. I also noticed they almost always came without a husband. From what I could tell, nothing was being done to reach out to these mothers. It struck me that something could be done for these parents while their children were in Sabbath School, or after wards through especially prepared materials or some kind of support group. I believe parents are a fruitful field to consider in our witnessing efforts.—Dan

Quotations

Parents Are Frequently Reached Through Their Children

"Some efforts have been made to interest children in the cause, but not enough. Our Sabbath schools should be made more interesting. The public schools have of late years greatly improved their methods of teaching. Object lessons, pictures, and blackboards are used to make difficult lessons clear to the youthful mind. Just so may present truth be simplified and made intensely interesting to the active minds of the children. {4T 69.4} Parents who can be approached in no other way are frequently reached through their children. Sabbath school teachers can instruct the children in the truth, and they will, in turn, take it into the home circle. But few teachers seem to understand the importance of this branch of the work. The modes of teaching which have been adopted with such success in the public schools could be employed with similar results in the Sabbath schools and be the means of bringing children to Jesus and educating them in Bible truth. This will do far more good than religious excitement of an emotional character, that passes off as rapidly as it comes." {4T 70.1}